Azul Mini Game Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Deborah Banasko
I am always on the look-out for a new game, and I was excited to be asked to review Azul Mini. This game uses strategy to score the highest points whilst laying tiles to create a beautiful mosaic design. Azul Mini is a more compact version of the larger Azul game, the intention being to be able to play “on the move”, whether that be on holiday or even in a restaurant with the kids. I cannot say that I have heard of this game before, but it sounds so unique from anything that we have at home that I was excited to try it out. The box is really quite stunning, a nice nod towards Portuguese art.
This is a game for 2-4 players, so inside there are four mini game boards along with 100 pretty tiles of varying colours, 9 factory displays, a starting player marker, an additional plastic tray and a beautiful blue linen bag for the tiles, and instructions. Looking at the contents, I did think that this may be one of those games that would take me a while to figure out the rules, as the instructions appear complex at first glance. In the end we had to carry out a practice game where we all helped one-another to get the hang of it, before playing properly. Do not let this put you off, as this really is a fabulous game.
The general idea is that you acquire tiles from a market to add to your board, however you need to plan your moves carefully to score points and disrupt the plans of the other players. This means careful selection of the tiles you need, as taking too many will cost points whilst incomplete rows of tiles do not score. This is not one to play after too many wines if you have a desire to actually win!
We played with my two oldest children who are aged 10 and 13. They both really enjoyed it once they got the hang of it, and I can see it becoming a firm favourite. This is quite a long game to play, for us perhaps 45 minutes or more, but we did play with children who need some assistance and who just talk a lot!
I can see us playing this at home, on holiday or even in the airport lounge as it easily fits into a travel bag. The grooves incorporated into the design of the tiles means that they fit snugly into the bumps of the game boards, so in theory you could play this game on a long flight or even car journey if you have enough space to lean on. The game bag was so handy for travelling with, yet you still have the main box for storage at home. So many aspects of this game have been carefully thought out with travel convenience in mind, rather than it just being a mini version of a larger game.
One element of the game which bothered me slightly were the factory displays, as they were essentially just cardboard. Aside from the usual issues with cardboard game elements becoming bent and damaged over time, I am thinking about drinks getting spilled at tables or damp tables in hotel lounges during travel. For a travel game I would have expected a little more consideration towards this. However, when you reflect on the RRP which is currently £19.99 I would imagine the manufacturer is trying to keep the costs down.
This is game is easy once you get the hang of it, it is very addictive and no two games are the same. There are many tactical moves to adopt which keeps the game interesting, so if you like games of strategy then this is a perfect choice. The price point makes it a great Christmas gift for older children, perhaps the awkward teen to play with on Christmas day, or even adults who like to holiday frequently or just play games on cosy nights in.
I would award this game 4.5 stars out of 5.
RRP: £19.99
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
You can purchase this Plan B Games product from Amazon here.